“Some are born great, some achieve
greatness and greatness is thrust upon some!” is a popular saying in English
language. Maganur Basappa, an iconic figure from Davangere, adorned with titles
like ‘ArooDa dAsOhi, dAna cintAmaNi’ (Atypical benefactor, Philanthropist
Jewel) really did not start out like that from his birth. Born poor, he climbed
high in life. Adapting a disciplined regimen in life, he thought and worked for
the betterment of the society until his last breath. A silhouette with his
pancha (dhoti) raised up to his knee, a khadi-wrap around his upper body,
holding the basket in his left hand, a walking stick on his right hand – he
could be seen trodding the lawns of the boarding school of our Anubhava Mantapa
at early dawn. For children who saw him like that, the appearance created a
picture image of Gandhi thatha walking towards them! Basappa could be seen
standing and watching the young kids in their white uniforms doing their
morning exercises and he would call them as the “white birds of Anubhava
Mantapa”

“AmrAshca siktAh
pitarAshcha thruptAh,” is a proverb in Sanskrit. “Offering libation standing
under a mango tree would serve the dual purpose of watering the tree and
satisfying our parental lineage in the heavens,” is what it means. This proverb
is usually cited to illustrate accomplishment of dual duties with a single
action. Maganur Basappa had this kind of dual purpose in walking to Anubhava
Mantap every morning. First, it was exercise with a morning walk and second, to
fetch some flowers for his deity worship. Along with this, he had a third
purpose which was to keep an eye on the ongoing construction activities at the
Anubhava Mantapa. The walking stick that he was using served as a measuring
stick as well for him.

The
orchestrated tuk-tuk... sound coming
out of his stick as he walked the corridors of the second floor of Anubhava
Mantapa was a signal of his approach and, in a way, exemplified a disciplinary
attunement of his lifestyle. He would recite the vachanas as he walked, and
explain their essence to those who happened to walk alongside him. If there
were any complex lines in those vachanas he would say to them “let us see if
Guruji is here and clarify this,” and would fetch and sit with me for a
discussion. At that ripe age of 95, his thirst for knowledge would prompt my
mind to recall a wisdom sentence “ajarAmaravat
prAjnO vidyAm arTham ca cintayEt” (one should earn knowledge and money not
thinking about their age or death). His sight brought back memories of the
Eiffel Tower in Paris. Parisians affectionately call this attractive skyscraper
which was built about the end of the 19th century, one of the
wonders of the world, as “Old Lady of the City.” I felt like calling this ripe
man, Maganur Basappa, who had lived at Davangere for a good part of the last
century as “Old man of the City.” Hovering near the century milestone, his
incessant quest for life with a thirst for service to humanity would make the
young bend their heads down with shame.

Basappa
would never get upset or angry at anyone who accused him while serving the
public. He would often say, “Be prepared to bear the brunt of the blame from
the public if you intend to serve in the society.” There are many who wear the
facade of society servers. For them,
their own needs come first and societal needs later. For Basappa, it was
Society first and Self later. My late elder Guruji used to say “ Gurus like us
are many to find, but a disciple like Basappa is a rarity.”

Basappa
used to say, “Charity is like a Well.” The water from the well is not exhausted
like the water from a street tap. The more you draw from the well, the more it
gains. Basappa believed that the more you donate, more you will amass. His
explanation of the famous saying “what is given away is yours and what is
hidden is for others,” by Sarvajna was transformed into “You are not going to
be born in the same house in which you stashed your wealth. You will be born
elsewhere. So do not stash it in your house, spread it out and when you are
born again, it is there for you to use.” It was not just a word of mouth.
Maganur Basappa donated his wealth away and in society, he was called‘ArooDa dAsOhi, dAna cintAmaNi’ (Atypical
benefactor, Philanthropist Jewel). He taught others to be charitable as well.

“The
man at the top is always lonely,” proclaims a famous saying in English. The
individuals at the top find it hard to share their sadness or happiness with
others. If they attempt that, invariably, their actions would be misinterpreted
and misused by miscreant people for their own selfish needs. It is hard to
trust people in public life, harder not to trust them either. One should have a
fair assessment of whom to trust, how much to trust, when and where to trust.
Personally, I trusted him without any reservations. It has been sixteen years
since this invaluable anchor person with whom I shared my frustrations,
elations, hardships and accusations from the society and lighten my mind has
passed away!

Basappa
has penned his biography yielding to my desire for him to do so. It is on the
empty pages from the partially filled home work notebooks of his grandchildren.
Having bid farewell to school after his 7th standard and climbing up
the life’s ladder with self help and divine faith, Basappa was not a writer by
any means. Even so, the real experiences of his personal life have come
together quite naturally with lucidity supporting a poetic expression in
Kannada, “kuritOdadeyum kAvyaprayOga pariNatamatigaL I nADavargaL.” Remarkably,
he has ended his biography with the following words:

“One should not misuse the funds from any public or social organizations.
Even a splinter of wood nor a speck of rock should reach their house. Not a single
penny should be be used for their use. I believe that God will not forsake
those who adhere to these good habits. This has been my experience. If everyone
follows this dictum our country, India, could be turned into heaven. I pray God
to let this country prosper with birth of such citizens.”

The social awareness, and love for the nation apparent in
the words above reminds me of a vachana from Basavanna, “I swear on you and
your holy parentage that I will desire neither a tiny speck of jewelry nor a
loose thread of cloth.” In this period of time, each day, where we witness a
gradual movement from truth to untruth, from lightness to darkness, how many
good souls that adhere to the novel expectations of the late Maganur Basappa,
can we find? I wonder!